When replacing the serpentine belt on your Honda car make sure the new belt matches the old one in width and shape to avoid noise and slippage. It is normal for the new belt to be slightly shorter in length as the old one has stretched from wear. Also, make a note of the Honda car routing of the belt on your particular vehicle or check the belt-routing label located on the engine compartment. Then follow these steps to replace it.

Locate the drive belt auto-tensioner on the upper part of the engine. The tensioner is an idler pulley, since it does not drive any accessory on your vehicle. Its only function is to give the belt its proper tension.

Insert a long boxed-end wrench on the auto-tensioner pulley bolt of the appropriate size and slowly turn the idler pulley to release the tension on the drive belt. If you have a 2.4L engine model, turn the pulley clockwise; if you have a 3.0L engine model, turn the pulley counterclockwise. Slide the belt off any pulley located on the upper part of the engine; then slowly release the tensioner pulley and remove the belt from the engine.

Check every pulley run by the drive belt and make sure they are free of dirt, debris and built-up material; if necessary, use a wire brush to clean the pulleys.

Compare the old belt to the new one and make sure it is of the same width and configuration.

Install the new belt beginning with the crankshaft pulley at the bottom and center of the engine and work your way up to the last pulley; follow your notes or the routing diagram on the engine compartment. If necessary, ask a helper to hold the belt stretched next to the last pulley on the upper part of the engine. Using the boxed-end wrench, slowly rotate the auto-tensioner pulley in the same direction you turned it to release the belt. Then slide the belt over the last pulley, and slowly release the auto-tensioner.

Make sure the belt is properly seated between the flanges of every accessory pulley.

Items you will need

Long boxed-end wrench

Wire brush

How to Change the Serpentine Belt on a Ridgeline

Find the belt routing diagram under the hood of the car; it should be next to the release latch. If there is no diagram, draw one. To draw the diagram, draw circles representing the pulleys on a sheet of paper, and place them in their approximate positions in the front of the engine, as if you were looking at the front of the car. Draw a line to represent the belt, and draw it either over or under each circle (pulley) depending on whether it actually goes over or under that pulley in the engine.

Place the socket wrench onto the bolt on the spring tensioner pulley. The spring tensioner pulley is the pulley along the belt route in the uppermost section of the engine.

Push down on the wrench to release the tension on the belt. Slip the belt off the pulley.

Place the new belt into the engine, following the diagrammed path, saving the tension pulley for last.

Apply pressure to the wrench again and slip the belt onto the tensioner pulley.

Items you will need

Socket wrench

How to Replace the Serpentine Belt in a Honda Accord

Find the auto-adjusting belt tensioner. The belt tensioner pulley is located generally located behind the alternator and above the crankshaft on the Honda Accord.

Rotate the belt tensioner bolt to release tension on the belt. Rotation direction may vary by model, and some models may have a different bolt head where a breaker bar or ratchet may be the more applicable tool. Check owner's documentation and use the appropriate size and style of tool to loosen the bolt.

Slip the old belt off of the pulleys, and use a routing belt diagram or sketch to install the new serpentine belt. Honda generally includes a belt routing diagram somewhere under the hood, showing where the belt goes around various pulleys.

Rotate the tensioner again to allow the belt to be installed on all pulleys, then slowly release it to regain tension.

Run the engine and observe the belt for proper functioning. Before starting, make sure the belt is seated properly on all of the pulleys.

Items you will need

Replacement belt

Wrench set (breaker bar or ratchet for some models, bolt size may vary)

How to Replace the Serpentine Belt in a Honda Odyssey

Open the hood of your Honda and locate the negative battery cable on the battery. Loosen the clamp bolt on the battery cable end with a wrench and then remove the cable from the battery.

Locate the automatic belt tensioner on the front of the engine. On the Odyssey, the tensioner is located between the alternator, A/C compressor and crank pulleys. Place a socket and breaker bar on the bolt in the center of the tensioner.

Rotate the tensioner counterclockwise to release the tension on the belt. Remove the belt from the pulleys and then rotate the tensioner back to the home position.

Install the new belt around all the pulleys except the tensioner. Rotate the tensioner counterclockwise with your breaker bar and socket again, and then slide the belt onto the tensioner pulley. Rotate the tensioner clockwise to tighten the belt. Remove the breaker bar and socket from the tensioner.

Install the negative battery cable to the negative battery post and tighten the retaining bolt with a wrench.

Items you will need

Wrench set

Socket set

Breaker bar

About the Author

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